Join CVN members and guests for our Annual General Meeting for 2026:
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2026 Time: 3:00 p.m. PT Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox
This is an opportunity to hear our interest groups and projects give an overview of the past year’s events and progress, along with a peek into their upcoming activities.
The business part of the meeting promises to be relatively short, with elections for all positions on the board of directors, and information on the state of our finances and our budget for this year.
As always, there will be an intermission with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available.
This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person and videoconference). We encourage members and the public to attend in person. Members (only) who cannot attend can participate via videoconference. The link to register for the Zoom meeting will be sent to members by email before the meeting. This meeting will not be recorded.
Garry oak getting light at Vanier Nature ParkNew signs at AirparkBursary winner Ruby ViePulling lamium at Little RiverNew logoBotany at Ruth Masters GreenwayBCN awards at June picnicShoreline Group sees a bearPulling ivy along Rotary Trail
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Watch this space and our other channels in the coming weeks for information about the event referenced here.
This planning message from our Charles Brandt Memorial committee is intended for CVN members.
Dear CVN members:
CVN is hosting an important and exciting event on March 8 (1:30 to 4:30) at the Stan Hagen Theatre entitled the Inaugural Charles Brandt Conservation Lectures. CVN members can attend free of charge!
We are looking for some volunteers to help with specific duties at the event (see details here). If you can help out, please write to and indicate what task you would like to help with. Thank you for considering this.
Comox Valley Nature hosted the following presentation at our January 2026 general meeting:
Title: Tsolum River Watershed – River Resilience in the 21st Century Speaker: Laura O’Brien (Tsolum River Restoration Society) Date: Sunday, January 25, 2026
If you missed this event or would like to see it again, a recording is available here (MP4, duration 1:02, 309 MB if downloaded).
For more information about this talk, see the announcement in our earlier post.
On December 2, the Botany Group met at Kitty Coleman Provincial Park to explore both a typical Douglas-fir forest and the estuary at this coastal location. The focus was on the lush mosses and on signs of both winter setting in (but with no snow yet) and optimistic preparations for spring. The group also looked at ways to identify trees without their leaves and at a few fungi, lichens, and slime molds. The trip was repeated on December 6.
You can download co-leader Véronique’s photographic guide to many of the species seen on this trip here (PDF, 12.9 MB).
Here’s a selection of photos from the guide [click a photo to see the whole image]:
Broken-leaf mossBroom mossSporangium of coiled-leaf claw-mossFlat mossLanky mossRosy conkGloeomucro sp. (fungus)Mica capUpright coral (fungus)White marasmius (fungus)Winter oyster (fungus)Hyphenated ribbon (lichen)Badhamia utricularis (slime mold) on a branchSpiny wood fernSlender toothwortVanilla-leafSilver burweedTurkish towel (a red alga)
Title: Mining and the Environment in Northern Ontario Speaker: Dr. Constance O’Connor (Wildlife Conservation Society) Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 Time: 10:00 a.m. PT
See the registration link below.
Peatlands of Hudson Bay Lowland (Photo: Connie O’Connor)
The boreal forests and peatlands of northern Ontario represent one of the world’s largest remaining intact forests and the third-largest wetland in the world. This area is the homeland for Anishnaabeg and Ininiwak, is an important refuge for northern wildlife, and a globally important carbon store. This area has seen little of the industrial resource development and urban settlement that has transformed areas to the south,
However, there is growing interest in resource development in this region, particularly for mining. These developments would also require associated roads, transmission lines, and other infrastructure. This presentation will provide an overview of the current context of mining in northern Ontario, including a discussion of limitations and concerns with the regulatory and planning frameworks for mining in Ontario relative to the environment and Indigenous rights; and current status and issues with proposed projects, including within the Ring of Fire area.
Nature Trust of British Columbia is calling for volunteers to help plant trees at the Lazo Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Monday, January 19.
The West Coast Conservation Land Management Program of Nature Trust BC manages this important conservation area in Comox. Their plan this month is to plant 330 native trees and shrubs in the area. This work is the continuation of a large scale restoration project that began in 2025 and treated over 1.5 hectares of Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom. The selected area for planting native species is roughly 0.5 hectares.
The Nature Trust BC leader of this work party is Geoff Stathers. Please email Geoff at to let him know you are coming and for answers to any questions you may have. Geoff estimates that with enough volunteers the job can be done in one day.
Geoff has provided the following details.
What to expect
Start time: 11:00 a.m. on Monday January 19.
Where: I will meet everyone at the entrance to the WMA off Torrence Rd between Highland Secondary and the public works yard. The planting site is roughly a 500 metre walk from the parking lot to the restoration area.
Prior to any work, a safety meeting is required and volunteer waiver must be signed, both provided by NTBC.
All trees and shrubs will be staged by Nature Trust (NTBC) staff before volunteers arrive.
Extra shovels and gloves will be provided by NTBC.
A demonstration will also be provided on planting.
Only expectation is to have a great time meeting some new people and restoring the Lazo Wildlife Management Area!
What to bring
Planting shovels, pickaxes, and any tools that could be helpful. The ground here can be quite dense.
Weather conditions look favourable at the moment for Monday but I suggest wearing layers and bring appropriate raingear regardless.
Proper footwear for the walk to and from the restoration area and for protection while planting.
Other details
Pot sizes for native species: (1-gal, 2-gal, 5-gal, 7-gal).
A pre-measured volume of time-release fertilizer will be added to each plant– a demonstration will be provided in the field.
Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s January general meeting. where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker:
Title: Tsolum River Watershed – River Resilience in the 21st Century Speaker: Laura O’Brien (Tsolum River Restoration Society) Date: Sunday, January 25, 2026 Time: 3:00 p.m. PT Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox
The 2025 pink salmon migration, where they were stopped by a man made/beaver enhanced dam on Sep 28, 2025.
Laura’s presentation will incude:
A little history – minesite reclamation, society.
Current issues:
Worsening summer drought conditions and winter flood events exacerbated by climate change,
Riparian issues – large second growth falling into the river now; the need for replanting to assist with lowering temperature for trout and coho salmon in summer season.
Invasive species – American bullfrogs and pumpkinseed fish.
Hope for the future:
Historic returns of pinks every odd year since 2011.
Engaging youth and community.
New RIBIT regional bullfrog initiative.
CV Conservation partnership.
About the speaker
Laura during the pink salmon count on the Tsolum, Sep 30, 2023. (Photo: Laura O’Brien)
Laura O’Brien was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, loves water, writing and the natural world. She has lived in the Comox Valley since 1994 and on the Tsolum River for almost 25 years. She is a legal assistant by trade and has been a volunteer director of the Tsolum River Restoration Society (TRRS) since 2001. She wrote a series of informative historical pieces about the Tsolum River and created a series about “Tsolum Sid” a fictional Western toad who lives in the watershed, both of which were published regularly in the now defunct Rural Shopper magazine. She wrote these pieces to raise public awareness about the River and the long-term pollution caused by acid mine drainage, and to encourage river stewardship.
Laura is a leader on the TRRS Outreach Committee which participates in many public events to celebrate the River and watershed, develop community connections, share information and raise awareness. The Committee is also actively involved in bringing watershed education to local schools. Sharing her love of the Tsolum with others and encouraging them to be active stewards of our unique watersheds and our beautiful Valley are among her favourite pursuits.
More about the meeting
This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person and videoconference). We encourage members and the public to attend the in-person meeting. Members (only) who cannot attend can participate via videoconference. The link to join the Zoom meeting will be sent to members by email before the meeting.
After the keynote presentation there will be a break with coffee/tea, goodies and socializing, followed by the business part of the meeting. This consists mainly of brief reports from our interest groups and projects, an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do.
At the end of another impactful year of restoration work at the Courtenay Airpark, long-time project leader Frank Hovenden has provided his illustrated annual report which you can read and download here (PDF, 5.1 MB).
As usual, the dedicated project volunteers diligently attacked invasive species and planted appropriate native species, all while attending to previous plantings. Invasive rabbits continue to be an issue in the park, which explains the fencing you may see there protecting the plantings.
Frank installing one of the new signs.
An extra task this year was replacing the aging signs that identify and describe the native species that are gradually increasing in the park. The new signs include the new logos of both Comox Valley Nature and the City of Courtenay. CVN has worked closely with City staff over the years to accomplish the goals of this project.
You can also find this report and previous ones on this page.
Comox Valley Nature hosted the following presentation at our November 2025 general meeting:
Title: Sea Star Wasting DiseaseMonitoring on the BC Coast Speakers: Carolyn Prentice and Ondine Pontier (Hakai Institute) Date: Sunday, November 23, 2025
If you missed this event or would like to see it again, a recording is available here (MP4, 137 MB if downloaded).
For more information about this talk, see the announcement in our earlier post.
Ochre stars (Photo: Kelly Fretwell)Sunflower star and diver (Photo: Grant Callegari)
On October 14, the Botany Group explored part of the very pleasant Mama Bear Trail in Cumberland Community Forest. The focus of the trip was on the lush ferns and mosses, as well as the early fungi that the recent rains had brought out.
You can download co-leader Véronique’s photographic guide to many of the species seen on this trip here (PDF, 12 MB).
Here’s a selection of photos from the guide [click a photo to see the whole image]:
Join the Comox Valley Conservation Community for a day long celebration of the watersheds and waterways that connect us all in the Comox Valley!Learn about restoration and habitat enhancement projects, salmon cycles, drinking water, forests, creeks, wetlands and estuaries – and so much more. Art projects, kids activities, volunteer engagement opportunities, hands on learning and guided walks – all looking out over the beautiful Puntledge River.Comox Valley Nature will be there with our new outreach tent. Come by and say hello, and try our bird identification game. We can also show you why native plants are best for your garden, and how to spot invasive species.Pack a picnic and stay for the day! Saturday Sept 19th from 9 am – 3 pmin Puntledge Park 1111 1st , Courtenay ...
In her memoir, Pacific Northwest author Caroll Simpson recounts the highs and lows of running a remote fishing lodge on her own following the untimely death of her husband, and of falling in love with the natural world. Simpson tells stories of living in the remote wilderness and managing the lodge, becoming an accidental environmental activist, fending off wild animals, working as an angling guide and finally, fighting off a proposed mining operation and participating in the development of a government land management plan as a spokesperson for the wilderness tourism industry.While Simpson welcomed paying guests at Ookpik Lodge, unwanted house guests included a woodchuck, a pack rat, and martens. Simpson constantly had to watch out for grizzlies, moose, and cougars. Storms and extreme weather also provided fodder for hair-raising tales. All this makes for wonderful storytelling.Caroll’s story is essentially a love story. In an essay for Sierra Club, Simpson wrote: “I developed an immense passion for flora and fauna. Just walking back and forth on the 300’ dock several times a day, I was exposed to the unbelievable beauty of the northern spectrum of water life: the golden eagle soaring above, the osprey and kingfisher diving and coming up with fish for their hatchlings, the muskrats and otters looking for an easy meal, the tireless beaver working into the late evening sunsets. All of these creatures and more expressed their generational ownership of this small piece of the world. In return each was given my utmost respect and admiration…As I listened to the loons at the end of each day and the owl and the wolf in the night, I felt blessed to be witnessing such beauty. “On September 20th, join Comox Valley Nature and Save Our Forests Team for an afternoon of storytelling about this remarkable time spent living on a remote British Columbia lake.The event is being held at the Comox United Church Hall. (250 Beach Drive, Comox) Admission is by donation. Doors open at 2:30; the event begins at 3:00 p.m. There will be time for Q&A after the presentation, as well as books available for purchase. Tea/coffee and cookies - including forest-themed cupcakes - will be available for a donation.Join us, and prepare to fall in love. ...
🎟️ Get your tickets to the Project Watershed 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/Every ticket holder makes a difference. 💙 🎟️ Get your tickets to our 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/When community and local businesses invest in conservation, our entire ecosystem benefits. Ticket sales directly support habitat restoration, scientific research, and environmental education, while the generosity of our sponsors helps offset event costs, ensuring that more of the funds raised can go directly toward this important work. Thank you to our incredible sponsors and dinner attendees for believing in the power of community-led conservation. Odlum Brown Community and Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, 40 Knots Winery, CNB Together, we're keeping our watersheds living. 🌿 Hope to see you September 12, 5 - 8 pm at 40 KNOTS Winery #KeepingItLiving #ProjectWatershed #CommunitySupport #Conservation #ComoxValley ...
The City of Courtenay is developing a long-term vision for Bill Moore Park and Dogwood Park to guide future improvements. To help guide these decisions, three initial concepts have been developed, and there is an opportunity for you to offer your input.The latest survey on the City website engagecomoxvalley.ca/bill-moore-and-dogwood-park asks for feedback on three concept plans and specifically which concept you prefer. The three concepts present a range of recreation possibilities and there is room on the survey for your comments.Dogwood Park is a 2.32‑hectare nature park featuring mature forested areas, natural habitat and a small wetland. Only Concept A will maintain the intact forest areas in Dogwood Park. Concepts B and C propose increased recreation in the park including an off leash dog park, disc golf course, pump track (a purpose built track for children’s cycling) and nature play areas. While the planners may say that no trees or few trees will be taken down to accommodate this, the under-story will not survive this level of trampling and fragmentation. The trees as well as all the wildlife who now call that area home will disappear over time. For those of us who value this forest, Concept A is the only option that makes sense.Dogwood Park is one of the few islands of green for many, many blocks. It provides habitat for wildlife, shade, retains water and acts as a carbon sink. On the architect's base plan of current conditions it is now characterized as an "underutilized space". The City has heard from sports enthusiasts but not nature lovers. Let them know why you value an intact forest and your connection to it. The survey is open until Sept 15. ...
The Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR) wants the federal government to establish a regulatory body for the horticultural industry and create a national database identifying invasive plants and their risks in different regions. "Even if we don't prohibit them, we need to let the public know when there is potential harm," said CCIPR co-founder Cathy Kavassalis. "We do this on other products, and we should do it on plants too. It's just common sense."In July, Nanaimo council passed a motion to pursue a bylaw amendment restricting the sale of plants on a list maintained by the Invasive Species Council of B.C. A week later, Surrey moved to ban sales by businesses including nurseries, large retail chains and florists. Kavassalis said a problem that could be addressed at higher levels of government is being pushed down to municipalities."These are all patchwork solutions that, in some ways, just waste a lot of resources," she said. The CCIPR says a national database could give provinces, territories, retailers and gardeners a shared source of information about which plants pose risks in different regions. Kavassalis also wants invasive plants removed from shelves or clearly labelled.For more on this story visit www.cbc.ca/news/science/invasive-plants-sale-federal-regulation-9.7312362 or see our link in bio ...
